TomRhere

Nice repair on that hit.. Got an '82 GL BRAT here, just need to get busy on it. Been sitting way to long.....

Tail light link. http://www.car-part.com/cgi-bin/search.cgi

Hasn't this Winter been wierd? It can go away now!!!! Nice looking Wagon!! Issues I've had with the gas gauges on the BRATs have been corrosion in the connectors at the sending unit. My fix was to cut-out the connectors, solder the wires back together using some heat-shrink tubing over the repair. The stock bullet connectors are not all that waterproof, so moisture gets in there. One could buy the proper newer style of connectors and put them in. I just took the easy way...

ettev, a member on here, found some new wheelwells, but they were quite expensive. To repair what you have, you'll need to cut-out all of the rust, then form replacement panels to be welded in. That area tends to rust due to how the shock mount bracket is formed/attached. It leaves a pocket between the bracket and the fender. Dirt/water collects there leading to rust. You can make some close-off pieces to weld in there to help eliminate that.

Different bolt patterns between the two manifolds, so you will need an adapter for each.

Be kinda difficult for the OP to "post video" ifin he kills himself while working on the vehicle. But HEY, that what "friends" be for.....

Biggest issue I've encountered in putting an EA81 in where an EA82 was is the Powersteering. I've modded the pump bracket and drive pulley to work on the EA81. Just haven't devised a good belt tensioning system yet. Tried a few methods, and they did work. Just wasn't "Happy" with them, so on to another one. Still a work-in-progress there.. Just looking for a cheap-easy method that can be done with "on-hand" Subaru parts. As far as putting the EA82 flywheel on an EA81 and the difference in timing marks. You need to add 6* to what you're seeing. In other words; TDC #1 cylinder on the EA81 engine will read as 6*BTDC on the EA82 flywheel. Carbed motor timing will need to be set at 14*, SPFI engines will need to be set at 26*. edit: And for the bottom radiator hose, EA81 engine to EA82 radiator, I bought a Flex-hose of appropriate end sizes. Works....

Besides the engine dying, what other electrical systems show a sign of trouble? Lights flickering, charge gauge dropping, heater blower cutting out? Just looking for more info...

That's happened to me, on other vehicles. 'Tis a bit scarry. Willing to bet that most of the Members on here are still running with the original soft-lines on their rides. I've swapped them out on most of mine, the '85 BRAT still needs them replaced though. It's next on the "To Do" List.

Horn button is removed by pulling the bottom edges toward you. Getting it snapped back in-place is another story.... Grrrrr! Original horns have both a power and ground wire going to them, so some wiring changes would be needed from relay to horns. Use Factory wiring to operate the relay, and a fused circuit to the horns. Most of the issues I've had with horns has been corrosion at the horn(s) themselves.

Sounds good to me. We can plan things out, once it gets warmer outside.

I would still suspect a vacuum leak, seeing as it's carbed. Abnormal "high idle" when cold, along with abnormal "low idle" when warm, tends to indicate a vac leak. You can check for vac leaks yourself, no need to pay someone to do so. Buy a can of carb cleaner. Pop the hood and start engine. Start spraying the carb cleaner (using the straw) slowly around the engine, follow ALL of the vac hoses. Change of engine speed indicates a vac leak. Be sure to check the hoses going to the carbon canister, transmition controls (if it's a Push-Button 4WD type, or Auto), heater-A/C vac resevior. Hoses can crack at thier connection(s), and split anywhere along thier length of run. They are 20 some years old now. Sucks getting "Old"...

I swapped an EA82 SPFI type EGR valve in place of the EA81 type when I removed the AAV from my BRAT's, as they don't have the fitting for the AAV hose connection.

Thinking your return trip should down thru Michigan. Then you could stop by here. :cool: Have to dig around in the shed, but may have front bumper off an '85-'86 Sedan here. Not sure at the moment...... Would really like to meet you Tom. And Fox ain't been here in forever!!! (Could even arrange for Rich to be here so you could meet him, seeeing as you donated towards his medical bills.)

Start the engine and let it warm up to temp. Put Heat Selector to it's Hottest setting, turn blower to High. Pop the hood and feel the heater hoses; There should be a slight temp difference between them.. If the return hose feels much cooler then the supply hose, your core is clogged. The heater core is a smaller version of your radiator, so to speak. Air going thru the fins pulls heat from the coolant to warm the cabin. If the coolant is restricted by built up crud, it stays in the core longer, thus being cooled more by the air passing the thru the fins. It may be possible to just reverse the supply/return hoses under the hood, to flush it out. Works on occasssion. A garden hose held to either of the hoses can flush it out also. Just don't attach the garden hose solidly. You can cause damage to the core by over-pressurizing it. 13-15psi system vs 40+psi house pressure. You will want to swap the garden hose between the 2 heater hoses anyways to aide in flushing debris out. Allow the water to flow for a couple minutes, then hold the hose to the other heater hose, swap it again, and again. Hook the heater hoses back to the core, fill system, start engine & warm it up, check heater output. Hopefully, it worked, and you have good heat. Changing out the core itself is a P.I.T.A. job. BT-DT!!

Can't really go by the dash gauge, they vary to much between vehicles. For example, my White '86 BRAT ran around the 1/4 mark, and the '85 BRAT is just below 1/2. Both have(had) new radiator, waterpump, T-stat, hoses, along with heater core flush. Shot the '85 with a temp gun as I thought it was running to warm. Don't recall actual reading now, but it was "normal". After doing all of the above parts on the Brown '86 BRAT I had, I could watch the T-stat open/close by looking at the dash gauge, if it was below 0*F outside. 1st time seeing that was a bit freaky, as I was on my way to work and out in the middle of no-where. I would suspect a clogged heater core for the low heat output. Having warm air then going cold air is typical sign of core issue.

Welcome. Nice looking BRAT, Brumby, UTE, MV!!!!!!

Open vacuum port on the 1-3 side could cause the miss. There's enough fuel/air charge in the manifold from the 2-4 side firing, for #1 to fire, (albiet weakly), but nothing is left for #3. Trust me, it can happen.

Trust me,,,, I hear you!!!! Got a few here that I've been, wrenching on, and or, just letting sit, due to not having money, parts, time. Choose order yourself. Still, if it the trans, another one would be cheaper than buying that El Camino. (Would lke to have one of those myself, owned a few in the past.) Not sure in your area, but around these parts, an El Camino was considered a "Sports Car". Meaning higher insurance rates, regardless. So that's something else to consider.

Don't be to quick to dismiss things moving around. You have a "swapped trans & controls" in there, things can and do move after time. And what the PO did may have worked, up to the time you wrenched on it. A tranny mount could have failed from you moving the trans around abit doing the axle(s). An "old mount" could very well do that. That would allow the trans to shift a bit, throwing the shifter out of whack. Just trying to give you some ideas to check is all. Can't see the trans failing that quickly, has to something related to recent work. Not saying "you caused it", just saying to take a good look at everything.

I can see where rain could get into the exhaust while the engine is out, especially if the hood was open or off of the car. I can see how all of that water can cause some serious backpressure, which 'may", keep an engine from firing up. Just can't quite see how that led to a gasket blowing, and dumping coolant into the oilpan. One of the freezeplugs in the heads letting go would dump the coolant into the oilpan, and quickly. Just some thoughts is all.....

I would pull the trim panel unders the steering column 1st, as you can see where the cable attaches to the speedo head that way. If memory serves me correctly, it's just about straight up from the gas pedal. Not everyone is able to get there hand up there, but a pair of long (8"+) needle-nose pliers works wonders. The end of the cable "may" still be on the drive attachment, but be pulled back enough to not work. Try to slide it back onto the drive. If it hasn't come completly off of the drive, you "may" be able to push it on by pushing the cable towards the dash from under the hood. It's really not that difficult to inadvertantly pull the cable off the speedo while working under the hood in that area. Been a few Members post up about doing so, MilesFox included.

Thinking here that the 2WD/4WD Selector Lever isn't allowing the trans to fully shift into 2WD. I would atleast take a look at it.